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| United States Patent |
6,158,127
|
|
Taylor
|
December 12, 2000
|
Folding knife with one-handed blade movement
Abstract
A folding knife of the type wherein the blade may be moved between open and
closed positions with the hand holding the knife. A blade is connected by
a fixed pivot pin to a casing having the usual two handle or cover pieces
providing a casing with a space for receiving the blade in the closed
position. A substantially V-shaped slot extends through one of the cover
pieces in close proximity and partially surrounding relation to the pivot
pin. In addition to a circular opening for the pivot pin, the blade tang
includes a linearly elongated, through slot communicating at one end with
the circular opening. An actuating member, having integral head and stem
portions, extends through the V-shaped slot in the cover piece and
slidingly engages the slot in the blade tang, and into a blind V-slot in
the inwardly facing surface of the other cover piece. The head of the
actuating member may be manually engaged by the operator and moved from
one end of the V-shaped slot to the other as the stem portion engaging the
tang slot moves the blade about the pivot pin between open and closed
positions.
| Inventors:
|
Taylor; William J. (Marietta, GA)
|
| Assignee:
|
Camillus Cutlery Co. (Camillus, NY)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
227377 |
| Filed:
|
January 8, 1999 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
30/158 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B26B 001/02 |
| Field of Search: |
30/158,159,160,161
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 338853 | Mar., 1886 | Marks | 30/161.
|
| 1495449 | May., 1924 | Sibley et al. | 30/160.
|
| 2304601 | Dec., 1942 | Schrade | 30/159.
|
| 4670984 | Jun., 1987 | Rickard | 30/161.
|
| 4811486 | Mar., 1989 | Cunningham | 30/158.
|
| 4974323 | Dec., 1990 | Cassady | 30/158.
|
| 5060379 | Oct., 1991 | Neely | 30/161.
|
| 5293690 | Mar., 1994 | Cassady | 30/160.
|
| 5495674 | Mar., 1996 | Taylor, Jr. | 30/160.
|
| 5979065 | Nov., 1999 | Hsu | 30/161.
|
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 342119 | Oct., 1921 | DE | 30/160.
|
| 140515 | Mar., 1920 | GB | 30/160.
|
| 246742 | Feb., 1926 | GB | 30/161.
|
Primary Examiner: Rada; Rinaldi I.
Assistant Examiner: Goodman; Charles
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McGuire; George R.
Hancock & Estabrook, LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A folding knife comprising:
a) a casing extending along a longitudinal axis and including a pair of
spaced wall members through at least one of which a first slot is formed;
b) a blade having proximal and distal ends, a tang portion adjacent said
proximal end, a pivot pin receiving opening formed through said tang
portion, and a second slot formed through said tang portion;
c) a pivot pin extending through said pivot receiving opening and anchored
in said wall members to establish a pivot axis, perpendicular to said
longitudinal axis and fixed with respect to said casing, about which said
blade is movable between open and closed positions with respect to said
casing; and
d) an actuating member having a manually engageable portion positioned on
an exterior of said casing and a stem portion extending from said manually
engagable portion, said stem portion extending through and positioned for
sliding movement relative to said first elongated slot in said casing and
said second elongated slot, whereby said blade movement is actuated
between said open and closed positions in response to manual movement of
said actuating member along said first and second slots and between first
and second positions relative thereto.
2. The knife of claim 1 wherein said stem portion extends along a linear
axis parallel to and spaced from said pivot axis.
3. The knife of claim 2 wherein said first slot is substantially V-shaped.
4. The knife of claim 3 wherein said first slot partially surrounds said
pivot pin.
5. The knife of claim 1 wherein said first slot extends along a non-linear
path between said first and second positions.
6. The knife of claim 5 wherein said first slot has first and second,
opposite ends and said first and second positions are substantially at
said opposite ends.
7. The knife of claim 6 wherein said manually engagable portion comprises a
head portion integral with said stem portion.
8. The knife of claim 1 wherein said first slot extends fully through one
of said wall members and a third slot extends partially through the other
of said wall members.
9. The knife of claim 8 wherein said stem portion extends fully through
said first slot in said one of said wall members to a terminal end within
the said third slot in said other of said wall members and includes a
medial portion engaging said blade.
10. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said second slot and said
pivot pin receiving opening are positioned in communication with one
another.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to folding knives, and more particularly to
knives having a blade or other implement movable between open and closed
positions with one hand, i.e., the hand holding the knife.
Folding knives, also known as pocket knives, include one or more blades or
other implements which are movable about a pivot axis between open and
closed positions relative to a casing in the form of a handle portion of
the knife. In most folding knife designs, the casing is held in one hand
while the blade or implement is moved with the other hand. In some
designs, such as so-called switch blades, a spring biases the blade, and
effects movement thereof, to the -1S open position in response to manual
manipulation of a release mechanism, normally by the hand holding the
knife. Other examples of folding knife designs wherein blade movement is
effected by the hand holding the knife may be found in applicant's U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,719,700 and 5,495,674.
The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved
folding knife wherein the blade or other implement may be moved between
open and closed positions with respect to the casing by manipulation
performed with the hand holding the knife.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The knife of the invention is disclosed in an embodiment including a handle
portion or casing made up of a pair of cover pieces and a spacer. The
spacer, which is smaller than the cover pieces, is placed between the
opposed, inwardly facing surfaces of the cover pieces to provide
therebetween a space of suitable dimensions for receiving at least a
portion of the blade or other implement when in the folded or closed
position. The blade, which term will be used herein as inclusive of any
implement which may be mounted upon and pivotally moved with respect to a
knife casing, is attached to the casing with a pivot pin extending through
an opening in the tang portion of the blade and anchored to the casing on
opposite sides of the blade. The cover pieces and spacer are fixedly
attached to one another with an unattached end portion of the spacer
acting as a spring bearing on the tang portion of the blade and as a stop
defining the fully open position of the blade.
All features generally described in the preceding paragraph are
conventional in prior art folding knife designs. Features unique to the
design of the present invention include a through, linearly elongated slot
in the blade tang communicating at one end with the pivot pin opening, a
generally V-shaped slot extending through the cover piece on one side of
the casing and a matching slot extending into the inwardly facing surface
and partially through the cover piece on the other side of the casing. The
slots are closely adjacent to and partially surround the pivot axis. An
actuating member having a stem portion and a head portion is placed with
the stem extending through the open V-slot in one cover piece, through the
open slot in the blade tang, and into the blind slot in the other cover
piece, with the head portion on the outer surface of the cover piece with
the through slot. The operator may engage the head of the actuating member
with the thumb of the hand holding the casing and push the actuating
member from one end of the V-shaped slot to the other. During such
movement, the blade is moved, by the stem portion of the actuating member
engaging the sides of the open slot in the blade tang, from the closed to
the open position. Opposite movement of the button effects closing
movement of the blade.
The foregoing and other features of construction and operation of the
folding knife of the invention will be more readily understood and fully
appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 2 are side elevational views of the disclosed embodiment of the
knife in the closed and open positions, respectively;
FIGS 1A and 2A are elevational views in section on the line 1A--1A of FIG.
1, and 2A--2A of FIG. 2, respectively;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the knife in the closed position;
FIGS. 4 and 5 side elevational views of the two cover pieces of the knife
casing, seen from the outwardly and inwardly facing sides, respectively;
FIGS. 4A and 5A are elevational views in section on the line 4A--4A of FIG.
4, and 5A--5A of FIG. 5, respectively; and
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the blade.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The knife of the invention, denoted generally by reference numeral 10,
includes a handle portion or casing made up, in the disclosed embodiment,
of cover pieces or wall members 12 and 14 and spacer 16. Cover pieces 12
and 14 are of identical outline and are placed in superposed relation with
spacer 16 between the opposed, inwardly facing surfaces of the cover
pieces along portions of one, elongated side and one end, as seen in
hidden lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. The three casing pieces are fixedly
attached by rivets 18, leaving end portion 16a free for limited movement
in the manner of a cantilever spring.
Cover pieces 12 and 14 are shown individually in FIGS. 4 and 5,
respectively. The surface of cover piece 12 seen in FIG. 4 is the surface
which faces outwardly in the assembled condition of the knife, while the
surface seen in FIG. 5 is the inwardly facing surface. Cover piece 12
includes through, circular opening 20, having relatively larger and
smaller diameter portions, and through slot 22, extending in essentially
V-shaped configuration between opposite ends 22a and 22b. Cover piece 14
includes through, circular opening 24, also having relatively larger and
smaller diameter portions, and V-shaped slot 26 extending into the
inwardly facing surface, but only partially through cover piece 14, as
seen in FIG. 5A. (V-shaped slot 26 includes opposite ends 26a and 26b)
Thus, slot 22 is termed an open slot and slot 26 a blind slot.
Blade 28 has tang portion 30 at one end. Circular opening 30a and linearly
elongated slot 30b, communicating at one end with opening 30a, extend
through tang 30. Blade 28 is attached to the casing by pivot pin 32 for
movement between the folded position of FIG. 1, wherein the cutting edge,
pointed end, and majority of blade 28 is received in the space between the
opposed surfaces of cover pieces 12 and 14, and the open position of FIG.
2. As best seen in FIG. 1A, pivot pin 32 extends through opening 24 of
cover piece 14, opening 30a of blade 28 and opening 20 of cover piece 12,
and is secured by washer 34.
Actuating member 36 includes integral stem and head portions 36a and 36b,
respectively. The parts are assembled by inserting stem portion 36a
through open slot 22 of cover piece 12 and through circular opening 30a of
tang 30. Reduced diameter portion 36a' of stem portion 36a is then slid
into tang slot 30b, the axial length of reduced diameter portion 36a'
being approximately equal to the thickness of tang 30. The terminal end
portion of stem 36a is placed in slot 26, the cover pieces, blade and
actuating member then being in the relative positions shown in FIG. 2A.
Pivot pin 32 is then inserted and secured, and the cover pieces and spacer
16 are mutually attached by rivets 18 to complete assembly of knife 10. In
moving blade 28 from the closed to the open position, the periphery of
tang 30 flexes end portion 16a of spacer 16 downwardly, as seen in FIGS. 1
and 2, and the end portion engages shoulder 30c of the tang to define the
fully open position of the blade, as in conventional folding knives. It
will be noted that the distance between stem portion 36a and pivot pin 32
varies as actuating member 36 is moved from one end of the V-shaped slots
to the other. This is accommodated by reduced diameter portion 36a' moving
longitudinally along tang slot 30b during movement of the actuating
member.
Contemplated modifications include changing the position of the cover piece
slots relative to the pivot pin, which would also involve changing the
orientation of the tang slot. For example, if the cover piece slots were
to be placed below the pivot pin, as the knife is oriented in FIGS. 1 and
2, slot 30b would extend from opening 30a toward the left, as the blade is
oriented in FIG. 6. Configurations of other than V-shaped for the cover
piece slots, and other than linear for the tang slot are also possible,
although the illustrated configurations are preferred. The invention may
also be employed in a two-bladed knife with through slots in both cover
pieces and corresponding slots in a wall member between the blades.
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